The Ministerial
Meeting on Regional Cooperation on Tsunami Early
Warning Arrangements (28-29 January 2005, Phuket)
recognized the Asian Disaster Preparedness
Centerís (ADPC) readiness to serve as a regional
center or focal point for a multi-nodal tsunami
early warning arrangement in the Indian Ocean
and Southeast Asia. In March 2005, Cambodia,
China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Thailand, and Vietnam agreed to establish an
early warning arrangement that would cover the
technological and societal components of warning
(end-to-end) and integrate early warning with
preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and
response (comprehensive) within a multi-hazard
framework. The countries requested ADPC, as
partner to the Royal Thai Government, to
implement and operate the system, and, with
other capable organizations, to assist in
facilitating resource mobilization, capacity
building, tool development, and in advocating
for the integration of coastal zone management
and disaster management. The countries
recommended a participatory system where
countries exchange data, information, research
results and experience; and form a pool of local
experts to participate in regional activities,
and of regional and international experts to
guide and periodically review the Centerís
activities. Subsequently, Bangladesh, the
Maldives, and Sri Lanka joined the regional
grouping, and bilateral agreements with the ten
participating countries were signed.

In July 2006, the meeting of national focal
points of the ten participating countries agreed
that ADPC, as facilitator of the system, shall
serve the participating countries as a regional
tsunami watch provider. The meeting updated and
endorsed for funding and implementation the
regional program on end-to-end multi-hazard
early warning, developed from two expert
consultations in February and April 2005. The
meeting also established the program
implementation arrangement as follows: a) a
Regional Steering Committee of heads of early
warning national focal points and international
experts to provide policy and technical advice;
b) National Steering Committees, with the
national focal point as Chair and early warning
stakeholders as members for program
implementation, monitoring and evaluation,
including identification of further needs; and
c) Local Steering Committees of early warning
stakeholders at sub-national and local levels
for local implementation of program activities.
Myanmar is the current Chair of the Regional
Steering Committee, with Sri Lanka and Thailand
as Vice Chairs.